1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to support brackets, and more particularly to a trash container support bracket configured to removably secure a refuse bucket or like trash receptacle to a commercial lawn and garden tractor or similar ground maintenance equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, ground and maintenance equipment such as lawn and garden tractors have become more popular and even necessary to care for and maintain large parcels of public and private property. The present inventor has recently noted that particular types of maintenance personnel, e.g. mowing crews, often complained that they had no place to put trash that was found while they were mowing parks and boulevards for example. This type of problem has most often been addressed by using the maintenance equipment to either shred the various forms of trash, which creates undesirable messes, or otherwise ignore the aforesaid trash altogether. Ignoring the trash during the maintenance process has resulted in various forms of trash, e.g. cans, food wrappers and other types of garbage becoming attached to the feet of the maintenance personnel or otherwise becoming stuck to numerous portions of the maintenance equipment. A further problem that results from trash that cannot be removed prior to the maintenance process is the abuse and destruction of lawnmower blades.
In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that a need exists in the park maintenance industry for a means to collect trash during park maintenance operations or other like maintenance operation such that the trash will not create undesirable environmental messes or otherwise impair the operation of the maintenance equipment. Municipalities and school districts would benefit due to availability of trash collection means configured for use with certain ground maintenance equipment used by those entities.
A number of United States Patents have been directed to the holding of articles.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,807 issued Jan. 20, 1981 to York, entitled Bucket Bracket discloses a bucket bracket that is secured to a wall or other vertical support. The bracket disclosed in the '807 patent does not allow for its efficient use with different size buckets due to its fixed vertical height.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,153 issued Dec. 16, 1986 to Marcum, entitled Container Holder Device discloses a receptacle for holding a container. The receptacle disclosed in the '153 patent is similar to the bracket disclosed in the '807 patent in that it does not allow for its efficient use with different size containers (due to its fixed upper ring diameter).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,425 issued Apr. 7, 1987 to Wallace et al., entitled Universal Cup Holder discloses a cup/can support suspended by a vehicle door and that is adjustable to firmly retain the can or cup. The holder disclosed in the '425 patent, although more versatile than those devices disclosed by York or Marcum, requires a pusher element to retain the can or cup in a firm position and furthermore does not allow for its efficient use with cups or cans that have diameters larger than the fixed diameter of the holder retainer.
Other types of exemplary holders are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,799 issued Aug. 6, 1991 to Jordan et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,257 issued Mar. 2, 1993 to Gradei et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,045 issued Feb. 15, 1994 to Cyphers et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,917 issued Oct. 22, 1996 to Wu; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,632 issued Nov. 24, 1998 to Koday. None of the related prior art has addressed resolution of the problems discovered by the present inventor concerning handling of trash during ground maintenance operations and processes.